Tears and a Black Rose
by Eibhinn Eonach
Summary: ok! this time it should be perfect! *sigh* Ron becomes and alcoholic, and Hermione isn't taking it well. In an amazing turn of events, things are looking up, until Hermione recieves a black rose..total R/Hr pleez reveiw, especially if you've read the mess
1. Default Chapter

They were growing up. The fact that Harry, Ron, and Hermione aged a year for every day was inevitable. There was always tension between the three of them, mainly because of Viktor Krum, the extremely romantic world class seeker that had swept Hermione off her feet 3 years ago. In fifth and sixth year, Ron had made a point of being nice, but it never made a difference. Harry wasn't sure whether or not Hermione loved Viktor, she had said he was nice but she never said she loved him. Ron certainly thought she had. He did everything in his power to stop Hermione from loving him, but nothing ever seemed to succeed. The uneasy feeling between them was at an all time high that year, and Harry never really understood why.  
Ron and Hermione had gotten into another fight. This one was about the alcohol, something that, it seemed to Harry, was always around,. There was always a bottle of beer here, or whiskey there. He partially blamed himself; Harry never stopped Ron from drinking and he sometimes even joined him. Hermione had walked in to see Ron swigging down another beer complaining loudly about all of the homework he had to do. Harry was having one himself, but he wasn't drinking much of it. It wasn't as if they weren't above drinking age. In the Wizarding Law, you were allowed to drink at the ripe old age of 17, but Ron drank consistently. If they had a test, Ron would drink. If he failed the test, Ron would drink. If he got into a fight with anyone -- especially Hermione, Harry had noticed - Ron would drink. Personally, harry thought his problem was about more than just the love of alcohol. Harry figured Ron had to drown his sorrows somehow, and drunkenness was the perfect escape. One night, when Ron was totally stoned, he had revealed to Harry that he loved Hermione and wanted to murder Viktor Krum. This didn't come to much of a shock to harry, he had sensed something after the Yule ball, but wanting to murder Viktor Krum, who happened to be a very nice person, was a bit over the edge.  
And then there was Hermione. She was very pretty, harry hadn't failed to notice, but increasingly pale and thin. She was growing up before she had a chance to be a child. She was 17, going on 40. Hermione barely ever smiled anymore, since Ron had become an alcoholic, and it had been ages since they had heard her laugh. It amazed harry that she kept up with her schoolwork. No matter how thin she was, or how sick she got, Hermione always managed top grades. Everyone was worried about her, Harry included. Professors would fret about their Head Girl in the teacher's lounge, Gryffindors would look at her as if she were about to break. Even the Slytherins were laying off on the usual cruelties towards her. Nobody dared touch her, they figured she would shatter if they did. Once, Harry could recall, a first year had ran into her in the halls. He apologized about 30 times and then offered to carry her enormously heavy bag to her next class. Hermione, of course, declined his offer and said that she could handle it on her own. In fact, the only person who ever laid a finger on Hermione was Ron, and only when he was drunk. Hermione's health may have been declining, but when Ron was drunk she fought with her old spirit.   
It was a horrible night, Harry remembered, cold and cruel. It was a Saturday and They had spent all of their pocket money on sweets at Honey Dukes and Zonkos and other places at Hogsmeade. To Harry and Hermione's great relief, they didn't have time to stop at Three Broomsticks for a drink. Once Ron sat down in there, there was no telling when he was going to leave. Things were going great; it was as if Viktor Krum, alcohol, and a few nasty fights hadn't existed. Hermione was even smiling....... until Viktor's head appeared in the hearth of the Gryffindor common room. Her smile died out; she, as well as Harry, knew what was coming. She wasn't highly informed of Ron's feelings for her, all she knew was that whenever the subject turned to Viktor Krum, Ron got good and drunk.  
And so he did. He had a few bottles of mead -- which is very powerful stuff, mind you -- stashed away in his trunk. He pulled them out and began to pour himself a glass or two, or three, or twenty. An hour later, when Hermione was finished talking to Viktor, she came up to see if Ron was all right. Oh, and indeed he wasn't. She walked in to find him on his bed singing "god save the queen" among other things. Harry was sitting on his bed, also drunk, but not nearly as far gone as Ron. Hermione immediately burst into tears and began screaming "Why do you do this to yourself?". Harry watched dazedly as his two best friends shouted at each other as if they were on separate continents. He would've gotten up and separated them, if he had been in his right mind, but found that he couldn't direct his legs very well. So, he just watched in horror as Ron's hand, as if in slow motion, rose and struck Hermione in the face. She gasped and clutched her cheek, paler than usual. Ron began to yell again. Hermione sank to the floor, sobbing and choking. Ron told her to get up and look him in the eye, she put her head in her hands. "Look me in the eye, god damn it," he shouted. He threw the little shot glass at Hermione. It missed but shattered on the cold stone floor inches from her, showering her with glass. Then, he picked her up and gave her a shake. Hermione fell limply to the ground, unconscious. Ron sank on to his bed muttering "What have I done?"   
But that was months ago. Ron still drank and Hermione still had dizzy spells from being shaken and collapsed when you least expected it. Harry recalled the time when she had one in the middle of care of magical creatures class when they were studying how to take care of water creatures and fell off the boat and into the lake. She nearly drowned. Ron had saved her, Harry remembered. He jumped in after her and brought her to the surface. Hermione coughed a lot, too, as if she had a constant cold. Sometimes, she would cough so hard that she would throw up or choke and someone would have to escort her to the hospital wing. She had stopped eating, also. When she did eat, she would spend the rest of the night forcing herself to vomit. Life was a circle around there; Hermione would get sick, then Ron would be worried about her and drink, and Hermione would get sicker. Things just worked that way, and there was nothing anyone could do about it.  
Harry was getting ready for a party. An end of term party thrown by his girlfriend, Cho Chang. She had invited Ginny, who was currently going out with Colin Creevy, Colin, Harry of course, Ron, Hermione, Viktor - which Harry warned her was a bad move, but Cho was very stubborn, Fred, Angelina Johnson, George, Alicia Spinnet, everyone in Harry's year (minus the Slytherins who didn't want to come), and a few friends of her own. Hermione, as usual, was sickly and pale, but she tried to be in a good mood for the party. Graduation was in a few days and Hermione was already nervous about the speech she had to give at the banquet for the seventh years, being Head Girl, and all. Ron was sober, but then, it was only 6:30 PM. he preferred getting drunk late at night so then he could just pass out in bed and not have to worry about doing anything else. Hermione was sitting in the girls dormitory crying when Harry walked in.  
"Hermione?" he asked carefully. " what's wrong?"  
"Nothing," she choked, " I guess I'm just depressed about leaving Hogwarts and nervous about the banquet and worried about Ron and -- " she stopped. "O harry. Things have been so horrible lately! Why does Ron drink so much? Does he hate me?"  
Harry sat down next to her and evaluated the situation. "No," he said after deciding what he was going to do. "Quite the opposite, actually." Hermione sat up and looked at Harry inquiringly.  
"What do you mean?" she said, meekly.  
"He loves you, Hermione, can't you see? He's only mean because he can't stand the fact that you don't love him! he once told me that he wanted to murder Viktor Krum!"  
Hermione was shocked. She muttered something that sounded like : "Whosaididunlovim"  
"Sorry? I couldn't understand what you said."  
"Harry," Hermione began, starring at the floor. "You're my best friend in the entire world, can I trust you to keep a secret?"  
"Of course"  
"well, I - I don't know where to start. I guess I should start seven years ago on the train. I - I loved Ron the moment I saw him," tears streaked down Hermione's ghostly cheeks. "I thought that he didn't love me. As a matter of fact, that first Halloween when I heard Ron insult me, I went into that bathroom to try and kill myself." Harry's eyes widened. "When that troll got in, I didn't move because I wanted it to beat me dead. But then you two came and saved me, from the troll and from myself. " she was shaking violently. "Sometimes, I sit and replay that memory in my mind and wonder what yours and Ron's lives would be like if that troll had killed me. I'm willing to bet that it would be a lot easier. Maybe suicide is the only way out of this. Perhaps, if I die, Ron would stop drinking and you wouldn't have to worry about poor, know-it-all Hermione Granger and life would be easy! Maybe - "  
"Hermione! Stop!" harry cried, " you can't kill yourself! We all love you, Hermione! And as for Ron stopping drinking, that is the opposite of what he'd do! haven't you noticed that every time you get sick, he gets drunk? He loves you and you love him so why can't you two just get your fights over with and - I dunno -- get married or something!"  
"But what about Viktor?" she whimpered, apparently frightened by Harry's outburst.  
Harry Stopped to think about that. Viktor did present a problem, didn't he? After all, wasn't it she who was the person Viktor had most cared about in the second task of the triwizard tournament?   
"They say that there is only one perfect mate for every human being on this earth. Apparently, you don't love Viktor like he thinks he loves you, but you love Ron, who loves you. Then, if you and Ron love each other, but you and Viktor don't really, then you and Ron must be soul mates instead of you and Viktor!"   
"harry, I didn't understand a word of that"  
"In a nutshell, it means that you have to tell Viktor that you don't love him and you have to tell Ron that you do,"  
Hermione sighed. "It sounds easier than it is, but I guess that's all I can do."  
"I'll bet, that after you admit your feelings for Ron, he won't drink as much."  
"I hope not."  
  



	2. Arsenic

  
  
At the party, which was being thrown in a different castle somewhere in the Scottish Highlands, Harry watched as Hermione attempted to tell both Ron and Viktor her secrets. She failed each time and had began to look painfully discouraged.  
"Don't give up" harry muttered in her ear as he and Cho whirled by in the middle of a dance. Hermione and Viktor had danced a lot, as they had at the Yule ball so many years ago, and Ron watched sulkily just as he had so many times before. He was scarfing down his third beer when harry went to sit down next to him.  
"Hi ."  
"Hullo"  
"Are you ...... having fun?" Harry asked.  
"Loads." Ron replied sarcastically, not taking his eyes off of Viktor (who was obviously trying to make Hermione laugh or even smile), and Hermione,( who was looking like she was near tears again).  
"Ron, You know that you'll never have any fun sitting here, why don't you ask Hermione to dance?"  
"And you think she'd want to dance with a pathetic drunk like me?" Ron hissed. he was perfectly sober, so harry needn't have tensed up like he did. "Not when she could have Viktor Krum, an extremely rich world class seeker and all around good guy! That would be like picking the farmer's son over the handsome prince!"   
"it could happen. You know, like in Beauty and the Beast."  
"What are you talking about, harry?"  
"It's a muggle movie. A girl named Belle chooses to marry an awful beast over the handsome popular guy that all the other girls liked."  
Ron looked utterly confused. "Are you calling me a beast?"  
"What? No! I'm just saying that girls are strange and do crazy, unpredictable things!"  
"oh. Why did this Belle girl like that beast?"  
"Because he was nice deep down inside. Oy, I'd know, I only had to suffer through it about three thousand times with Dudley when I was 5."  
Ron smiled then sighed and bit his lip. "Do you think she'd dance with me if I asked her?"  
"Definitely, but you'll never know if you don't try."  
"All right, then, I'll do it," he got up and walked over to the table they were sitting at, just as the band struck up a new, much slower song. Ron was very pale, almost as white as Hermione, as he reached them. " Er.... Hermione? do you want to dance?" Harry heard him mumble.   
"Umm... Sure..."   
Harry got up and dragged Cho away from her friends so he could spy and not look too conspicuous.   
"Ron, you haven't been drinking, have you?" Hermione whined. '"I smell alcohol on your breath."  
"I've only had a few drinks. That's it, I promise."  
"Oh.......well, that's good."  
"mhm"  
"Ron?" Hermione said, suddenly.  
"yes?" Ron was staring absently into her eyes.   
"I -I -I -"  
"You......."  
"I - well, I -" She began, but started coughing. Perfect, harry thought sarcastically, just wonderful. Talk about a mood killer.  
"Are you all right?" Ron asked, cautiously. "Maybe we should sit down..."  
"no I'm fine," Hermione said, quickly. "I'm perfectly all right. I just wanted to say.......... my shoes are untied."  
Harry slapped his had to his forehead. Ron, however, was moving in for the kill. he was suddenly holding her much closer than before. "That's all right"   
Hermione began to tremble slightly. Ron held her closer still. "Ron, I - "  
it was one, swift movement as Ron leaned in to kiss her. Suddenly, Ron and Hermione had stopped dancing and were making out. Harry smiled in spite of himself.   
"It's about time" Cho muttered to Harry. "I was wondering when they were going to stop fighting and just kiss and make up. But then, when I said 'kiss and make up,' I didn''t mean literally!"  
Harry laughed. Nearly everyone had noticed Ron and Hermione. A few stopped to watch, but most just continued dancing as if they weren't even there. Unfortunately, Viktor had also noticed. Harry watched his face turn from white to red faster than a stoplight turned from red to green. Viktor, to Harry's horror, was advancing on them like a madman. The same slow-motion that had occurred when Ron hit Hermione paid a visit as Viktor pulled his fist back to punch Ron.   
"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" shouted Ron from the floor, touching the swollen part of his face.  
"Get away from Herm-own-ninny!" Viktor shouted, savagely.   
"Stop!" Hermione shrieked as Ron and viktor got into a full out fist fight. "Stop!   
Please!! Oh, this is all my fault!" She was paler than usual. Tears stained her dress robes and then the coughing began. Her eyes slid out of focus as they did during a dizzy spell and next thing they knew, Hermione was collapsed on the floor.  
Harry jumped on Ron and Viktor. "Break it up, you two!" he yelled, "Think of Hermione! She's collapsed on the ground if either of you cared to notice!"   
But neither of them could hear him. Blood pounded in both their ears. Nothing mattered to them except Hermione's love, and all of it. They couldn't know what Hermione was going to do next. No one could feel the pain Hermione was in, physical and mental.   
She had come out of her dizzy spell but wished she hadn't. The sight of them in a fight was enough to push her off the edge, it was enough to drive her mad.  
Hermione blindly pulled herself off the floor. She cast a glance around the room for a place to run, a place to hide form the world. She wanted to die. If she died, she wouldn't have to tell Viktor she didn't love him. She wouldn't hurt anybody and, for them, life would go on happy and carefree. Hermione pummeled herself through the crowd and into the entrance hall of the unfamiliar castle. She spotted a passageway. It had a sign on it that read "restrooms."  
She ran into the girls toilet and began planing her death. She could drown herself in a toilet. Drown herself in a toilet... Eww. No, that wouldn't work. she could hold her breath until she passed out and died. Well, she didn't have any better ideas so she took a deep breath and sat down against the wall. She thought about everything that had happened to her over the years -- she was almost sad to die, but felt she had to. There must be an easier way, she thought, holding her breath was very painful. It was then when she saw it: A whole box of arsenic. Of course! She could poison herself! It would be swift and painless. There would be no mess to clean up afterwards, it was the perfect suicide. She locked the door to the ladies room as she opened the box of rat poison. The bottles were clear and appealing, all she had to do now........... was commit the perfect suicide.  
  
  



	3. Changes

AN- the promised turn of events. ^_^  
  
~*~*~*  
  
Harry was in the middle of trying to get Viktor and Ron to stop fighting when he suddenly realized that Hermione was nowhere to be found. Her words came flooding into his mind, "maybe suicide is the only way out of this....."  
"Stop!" Harry yelled. "Stop, you two, Hermione is going to commit suicide!"  
Viktor, who had a bloody nose, and Ron, who's eye was swollen, both looked up at Harry.  
"what are you talking about?" Demanded Ron.  
"She told me earlier today that she thought suicide was the only way out of this! Where did she get to......"  
"I saw her run into the ladies room," offered Ginny, "I'll bet she's still there,"  
practically the entire party ran into the passage to the restrooms. "At least she's safe in there." Someone said.  
"yeah, what's she gonna do, drown herself in a toilet?" Someone else agreed.  
Cho gave a yell. "Oh no!"  
"What is it?" asked Harry.  
"When I booked this castle they said they were riding it of rats and that they were keeping rat poison in the girl's bathroom!!! "  
"Shit!"exclaimed harry.  
'"Damn it! Hermione!!" shouted Ron, pounding on the door of the ladies room. "If you don't come out by the count of three I'm coming in! ONE - TWO - THREE!!" he turned the knob. "Shit, it's locked."  
'Step aside " George was yelling. '"I'll have her out in a moment," he began to pick the lock.   
Inside the bathroom, Hermione was frightened. She wanted to kiss Ron good-bye, She wanted to tell all of her friends that she would miss them, but she knew that if they got in, she wouldn''t go through with it. She tore open the bottle and emptied it in three seconds flat. Just then the door bust open and Ron saw her, looking scared and confused, haunched over the sink, a bottle in her hand. he ran to her and said, "Hermione, Don't do it. I love you Hermione, don't do it!"  
"I have to, Ron. I can't go on like this, hurting you and hurting Viktor! "  
"BY KILLING YOURSELF YOU'LL ONLY HURT US WORSE!" he bellowed. He went up to Hermione and took her in his arms like he had when they were dancing. "Please," he whispered. "It's all my fault, I'd never forgive myself. I love you so much it hurts. I know I never treated you right, but that can all change now." Hermione was sobbing into his shirt. "I'll get help. I promise, I won't drink. I was always so scared of telling you how I felt because I thought you hated me. But I'm braver, now. I love you, Hermione, I love you."  
Hermione changed her mind. She didn't want to die. She wanted to live forever, just as she was. She never wanted the fluttery, flying sensation in her heart to die. It was true love, and they both knew it. Hermione looked desperately into his eyes. They were such a deep blue, so clear yet so cloudy. She smiled weakly and gave a small nod.  
Before Hermione could do anything, she found herself caught in Ron's embrace. She loved the feel of his lips against hers , and the feel of her heart beating with his. Everything was perfect, she even had some color in her face and some light in her eyes. Nothing could spoil the perfect moment -- nothing except the full bottle of arsenic (which is also known as the deadly rat poison ) coursing through her veins. A sharp pang in her head made hermione withdraw from Ron.  
"What's wrong?" he asked her.  
"umm..." the bathroom was spinning before her eyes. "Nothing. I - I guess I'm just fully catching on to what's going on...... that's all." As much as she wanted to live, she wanted to make the night perfect. It could wait. Arsenic was a slow acting poison, right? Or was that snake venom..........   
"well, we can't stay in this bathroom forever."   
"Who says," replied Ron, impishly, as he took Hermione back into his arms. She fell back a bit.  
"I have to tell Viktor that it's over between us. If I wait, It'll only get worse." She sighed.  
"I guess you're right." He extended his hand to his black eye. "Maybe it would be best if I stood on the other side of the great hall when you tell him."  
Hermione smiled almost apologetically. "Yeah, that would probably be best."  
  
Harry was on the outside of the Ladies Restroom, trying to stop the crowd from bursting in to catch some of the action. if there was one thing he knew, it was that they'd want to be alone. The hardest person to contain was Viktor, who seemed desperate to get in. And let me tell you, harry was extremely glad when Ron and Hermione walked out of the restroom; Viktor was on the verge of blasting Harry out of the way to get to her.  
"let me pass!" he bellowed.  
"Viktor, you have to understand. There's no way you can help the situation, you can only make it worse." Harry had tried to explain.  
"I vant to see Herm-own-ninny!"  
"if you go in, you and Ron are sure to get into another fight! That's what fueled Hermione's suicide attempts in the first place!"  
"I promise I vont fight." Viktor said in a falsely calm voice. "I just vant to see Herm-own-ninny! Harry! get out of my way or I vill make you!"  
"But -" Harry sighed as Ron and Hermione pushed on the restroom door from the other side. "You can, she's coming out right now."  
Ron walked out the door first, followed closely by Hermione. They were hand in hand, which enraged Viktor to the point of no return. His eyes flashed and narrowed dangerously under his knitted eyebrows. His fists clenched, as if he was going to punch Ron again. Harry had never seen Viktor this way. He was positively barbaric as he watched them walk to the main hall. Hermione was limping slightly and could barely stand up, Harry noticed. He wondered if Ron had struck her. But no, surely Hermione wouldn't have that look on her face if he was spiteful. Ron had only had three beers, which wasn't nearly enough to get him drunk. Harry knew very well that he would never touch Hermione if he was sober. Ron may have been an alcoholic, but he wasn't the type of person to beat anyone (if he was in his right mind, that is). Harry ran up to them.  
"So...." he inquired. "What's going on." Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but massaged her forehead instead. She shook her head a couple of times. "Hermione, are you all right?" She looked sicker than he'd ever seen her, even paler than she normally was.  
"Fine." She squeaked. "I'm fine, we're fine, everything's fine except the fact that I can't hide from Viktor forever." Her forehead wrinkled with apprehension. "I suppose it's now or never and it most certainly can't be never." She got up and stumbled to the small table Viktor was sitting at.  
Harry glanced at Ron who looked extremely strange. Harry could tell that he was worried about Hermione's limp, and how terribly pale and sick she looked. Harry also knew that he was still dazed from the episode in the bathroom, the episode harry was clueless about but intended to get every detail of.   
"What happened when you two were in there, alone, by yourselves, without the rest of the world staring at you?"  
"huh?" Ron seemed to have been jerked out of a state of deep thought. "Oh, nothing much....."  
"Oh, come on Ron! I know you better that that! You wouldn't have that look on your face in 'nothing' happened in there." Harry laughed.  
"okay, okay." Ron was smiling rather vindictively. "Well, when I got in, she was standing over the sink with a bottle of rat poison in her hand. So, I put my arms around her and begged her not to drink it. I told her I loved her and that I intended to get help with my ...... er......problem. And I do, too! I would -" Ron stopped suddenly and went white.   
"What?" Harry asked, frantically. "What;s wrong?"  
The words had barely escaped his mouth when Ron got up and fled to the girl's bathroom.  
"I don't understand, what's wrong."  
"I remember taking the bottle out of her hand, but I don't remember -" he stopped dead. He picked up the bottle of arsenic Hermione had tried to poison herself with. It was empty.  
  



	4. Confession

"Er...... Viktor?" Hermione said, meekly, as she reached the table."Can I sit down?"  
Viktor nodded grimly and one-handedly pulled a chair out from under the table. Hermione sat down carefully. They sat in painful silence for a few moments as Hermione thought of what to say. She sighed.  
"I don't really know where to begin."  
"Vhy you were kissing Ron vould be a good place to start." He said.  
Hermione sighed again. "that wasn't planned. It just....happened. One minute we were dancing the next we were kissing. There was nothing I could do."   
"So you are telling me it vas Ron's fault."  
"yes -- no! Oh, Viktor, don't make this harder for me than it already is!" She put her head in her hands momentarily. "I guess what I came here to say was that it wasn't really working between us. I love you, but as a friend! Honestly, I never really felt that way about you, not strongly, at least. I loved the fact that you loved me, but I never really loved you." She drew a shuddering breath. " I always loved Ron. That didn't change when I started dating you. I'm sorry, I can't live without him. I've tried so many times to forget about him, I've tried so hard to make it work between us, but ...... I just can't!" The great Hall was swimming before her eyes. She couldn't see strait to save her life. Suddenly, she found it urgent that she find Ron. She was going to die, and she owed him so much as to explain why. Hermione was frightened, she didn't want to die, not when the sun was peering through the clouds of her life! She wanted to be saved and live forever with her friends, but that didn't seem possible now. She ran into a table and sent a couple of butterbeers smashing to the ground. Death was like a giant dizzy spell, the last dizzy spell. Hermione found that her legs had gone so weak that they couldn't support her anymore. She hit the cold floor like a stone. A few girls screamed, contorted human faces hovered over her. Voices swam around her head, voices whispering, murmuring, screaming, she couldn't tell which. Suddenly, a red haired figure appeared above her.   
"Ron?" she cried.  
"You drank the poison, didn't you?" his face was so white. Ron's eyes stood out like stars in the heavens. He was so wonderful.... Hermione was going to miss him. "Fred! Apparrate to Mum. Hurry!"   
Hermione heard a faint popping sound as one of the faces disappeared. "I'm sorry" Hermione whimpered. "I'm sorry. I thought I could deal with it later, I just wanted everything to be perfect........"  
"Shhh. Don't waste your energy." Ron gathered her into his arms. Hermione felt his hot tear burn on her neck. He sat rocking her slightly as things began to grow darker, noises farther away. Time passed slowly. With another popping sound, two faces swam into view.   
Mrs. Weasley was standing above her. Hermione couldn't really understand her words, but judging by her tone, Mrs. Weasley was ordering people around. "Come now, Ron, how am I supposed to help her with you right there?"  
Ron's grip on Hermione tightened a bit, but then gave away completely. "I Love you, Hermione, please don't stop fighting." He whispered so that only she could hear.   
  
As Hermione was off being cured by Mrs. Weasley, Harry, Ron, and the rest of the party had nothing to do. Nothing but wait. Wait for Hermione to die, wait for her to live, nobody knew which one would come. Harry tried to make Ron cheer up a bit, or at least get that awful look off his face. They were all distressed, but Ron looked like he was dying, too. He said not a word, but only stared into space. Then, he spotted it. Harry watched grimly as Ron drank half a bottle of beer in a single gulp.   
"Ron! " Harry hissed. "What are you doing?"  
"What's it look like?"  
"You told me that you promised Hermione you'd stop. You're breaking your promise to her. Do you think she'd appreciate that?"  
"I'll never know, I killed her, remember?" Ron had moved on to another bottle.  
"How did you kill her?"  
"By beating her that one time! By making her sick, by making her feel like suicide was the only way out!"  
"It's not your fault! You shouldn't blame yourself! Hermione might have a depressive disorder! She told me that the first Halloween, she tried to kill herself because...." Harry shut himself up, realizing that she had tried to kill herself then because of him, too.  
"Because of me!" Ron slammed him head onto the table. He polished off his sixth bottle that night. Then his seventh, and his eighth, nothing was going to stop his drinking. Ron was on the verge of being extremely drunk as his mum walked into the hall looking ghostly pale. She said that Hermione was to be fine!!  
Ron hardly believed his ears. He, along with the rest of the guests, stumbled to the bathroom. Ron couldn't recall how he managed to push to the front of the crowd, not being able walk a strait line to save his life. He burst through the door and knelt down next to the stretcher Mrs. Weasley had conjured up. Hermione was just stirring as he took her into his arms.   
"Don't you ever do that to me again! You-hic - scared me half to -- hic -- death!"  
Hermione had an odd look on her face. "Ron," she whispered. "Please tell me you haven't been drinking."  
"All right!" he laughed, strangely. "I - hic -- haven't been drinking."  
Hermione cried. "You promised...."  
Just then, Mrs. Weasley entered the room. "RON!" She bellowed, being unaware of her son's problem. "YOU'RE NOT. YOU CAN'T BE! TELL ME YOU'RE NOT DRUNK!"  
"What's with all these -- hic -- people wanting me to-hic -- tell them.......-hic stuff."  
Hermione hid her head in her arms. "He's been going on like this all year! It's so horrible! It makes me ... sick..."  
"Oh, Hermione, dear." Mrs. Weasley said, softly. "is that why you're so pale. And so thin! Don't you eat?"  
"Whaddya talking about, mum?" Ron mumbled, violently. "Hermione hasn't eaten since last year!"  
Mrs. Weasley looked shocked. "Is that true?"  
Hermione nodded slowly.  
"oh dear lord." Mrs. Weasley advanced on Ron. "WHEN DID YOU START DRINKING? " She roared. " DON'T YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS? DON'T YOU KNOW WHAT THAT CAN DO TO YOU?" she cast a furtive glance around the room for something to say. " Don't you care about Hermione?"  
His mother's words hit Ron like a sack full of bricks. He fell back and started mumbling rapidly. Hermione couldn't understand most of his murmuring, but she caught bits here and there ,like: " I love her" and "mean to get drunk" and " to stop."  
Hermione felt terrible. This was her fault, too. If she hadn't gone off the edge and poisoned herself, Ron wouldn't be in trouble with his mum at the moment. Suicide wormed it's way back into her thoughts, but was quickly discarded. The feeling of dying, just fading away, was one feeling Hermione never wanted to experience again. And anyway, maybe Mrs. Weasley finding out about his problem was a good thing. Hermione was sure that she would go to any extent to save her son. Maybe now that his mother knew, Ron would slow down, or maybe even stop! Hermione tried not to get her hopes up.  
  



	5. Happily ever after...for now

AN- Extremely short, i know. O well  
*~*~*~  
Eventually, Mrs. Weasley stopped yelling. She was even kind enough to let Ron stay at the party, once she had made sure ALL the alcohol was disposed of, that is.  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn't feel much like dancing anymore. Hermione was still rather weak, Ron (though he was given a potion to relieve the effects of the alcohol) had a headache, and Harry just wanted to be with his two best friends. Cho wasn't very happy about this.  
"Come on, Harry. Just one dance!" she moaned. Cho loved to dance.  
"I want to talk to Hermione and Ron," he replied, firmly. " You're welcome to come and sit in."  
Cho thought for a moment. "Oh, all right."  
"Well," said Cho to Hermione in a tone mocking a reporter. "you've just nearly killed yourself and broke a poor bloke's heart..... what are you going to do next? No, wait, let me guess. You're ..... going to go to Disney world, right?"  
Hermione smiled. "Nah. I think I'm going to go home and go to bed."  
Cho laughed. "I've been watching to much....oh, what's it called. That box...... with the picture in it....."  
"Television, Cho," chortled Harry. "Didn't you take Muggle Studies?"  
"I never thought it would be useful. I liked Charms much better."  
" I don't believe that in a few days, we're not going to go to Hogwarts anymore -- ever." Said Ron.  
Cho nodded. "it's strange when September 1st comes and you're not on the train. You get used to it, after a while."  
Hermione looked uncomfortable "How am I going to get up in front of the entire seventh year and give a speech?"  
"I looks harder than it is, actually." Said Cho, lightly. She had been Head Girl the previous year. "Just get up there and pretend you're standing in you dormitory practicing by yourself."  
Hermione laughed. " I remember when I was in 5th grade -- in muggle school -- and we had a school play. I had a little solo part, so my dad told me to just imagine everyone in their underwear. I tried, but it reversed.... I imagined myself in my underwear. I was so embarrassed that I forgot my lines and developed an extreme case of stage fright." She slapped her butterbeer down on the table. "You know, I bet I can say those lines perfectly today......"  
Everyone laughed. Ron put his arm around her and glanced at his watch. "wow! it's already 1:30 in the morning!"  
Cho's eyes were almost round (which was queer, because she was Chinese and had almond shaped eyes). " We were all supposed to be out of here an hour and a half ago! They had another party booked at 2:00!"  
harry raised his eyebrows."In the morning? Who booked the party, owls?"  
"Goblins" Cho muttered. She pulled out her wand and sent a few purple firecrackers out of it."Hey! Hey!" She yelled at the band to stop playing. "You all have to go! There's a party of goblins coming at 2:00 and it's 1:30!" People were sorry to go, but left in quite a hurry. Cho ran her hand through her thin, chin length black hair. She sat back down at the little table.   
Harry laughed and put his arm around her. "Exasperated, are you,"  
"mhm...." she moaned.  



	6. The First Rose

Hermione was frightened to wake up in a bed that wasn't her own. She was even more frightened to find that she wasn't alone. She looked over at Ron. He looked so peaceful sleeping. She sighed, relieved to see that they were both fully clothed.  
Hermione curled up next to Ron and fell back asleep.  
About an hour later, Harry, Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and Neville Longbottom ripped open Ron's curtains and gasped. He was usually the last one to wake up, so they figured they'd help him out ...... by pouring a large glass of water on him. They expected Ron to be asleep, what they weren't expecting was to see a girl there also. The straps on Hermione's pajama top had slipped off her shoulders, and Ron slept in his boxers, giving the effect that they were both completely naked.   
Neville was so startled that he dropped the glass. It fell onto the bed, showering Ron with the icy water.  
"What the hell?"he exclaimed.  
"That would be a better question for us to ask you!" chuckled Seamus, dirtily. "So that's why you were so tired, eh?"  
"Go, Ron!" shouted Dean. Neville was rather pale and Harry was absolutely stunned.  
"What...?" he looked over at Hermione who was also awake. She had hidden her face in the pillow. It was bad enough for a girl to be caught in the boys dormitories -- sleeping, nevertheless -- but for Head Girl to be caught, just before graduation......  
Ron noticed that only her bare shoulders showed above the blanket. He caught on to what Seamus meant. "it's not what it looks like. Really!'" he cried, urgently.  
"then what were you two doing last night, playing cards?" roared Seamus.  
Ron rolled his eyes. "Harry! You believe me, don't you? I mean, even if I would do something like that doesn't mean Hermione would."  
Harry thought for a moment. "Yeah. I guess you're right."   
"Maybe he got her drunk," suggested Dean. "God knows he's got enough stuff stashed to kill an elephant!"  
Ron moaned. He reached for the blanket and pulled it off. Neville covered his eyes.   
"There! " Said Ron, red in the face. "Any more comments, boys?"  
Seamus and Dean stopped laughing. "okay, okay. I never thought Hermione would do anything like that, anyway. " said Dean, smirking. "But Seamus is a different story..."  
"If you're all going to be sick minded, I hope no one will be offended if I leave." Said Hermione, huffily. She got up and stormed out of the room. Ron chased after her.  
"They can be so annoying sometimes." He said. "Listen, I'll go get dressed, and I'll meet you down at breakfast. After that, we can go for a walk around the lake."   
Hermione smiled. Ron was delighted to see that she had some color in her face and that she looked so happy."That would be nice."  
Ron gave her a quick peck on the lips and went to get dressed.  
  
Ron and Hermione might have gotten up late, but not late enough to miss Sunday morning breakfast. They served it late, since most people were up having fun on Saturday night. None one flinched in the slightest as the usual stampede of owls flew into the great hall.  
Everyone at the Gryffindor table watch as a large spotted owl flew over them. It held in it's claw a single black rose. To Harry, Ron, and Hermione's great surprise, it floated down and landed next to Hermione. It dropped the rose and flew off.  
"Who sent this?" She said to no one in particular.   
"Maybe Ron did," replied Ginny, who was pouring herself a glass of milk.  
"hmmm.... But when would he have gotten the time? I've been with him since last night."  
"Maybe he sent it after you went to your dormitory to go to bed."  
Hermione blushed slightly. Ginny, being sixteen, was so ignorant. If it was up Hermione, she would stay that way, or at least about this event.  
"No, it was pretty late....." Hermione stammered. "Ron, did you send this?" She held up the black rose.  
"A black rose? No. I don't think I've ever even seen one of those before..."  
Harry had a strange feeling. "are you sure the owl didn't have a card with it?"  
"Positive. I don't see one anywhere. It was probably just someone playing a stupid joke. "  
"I don't know..." said harry.  
  
That night, an owl flew to the window of the Gryffindor common room. This one was a huge tawny. it tapped a few times before some first year let it in. The owl flew to the corner of the room where Hermione was watching Ron whip harry at chess. Things were nearly as normal between the three of them as they were before their problems started -- aside from the fact that Ron and Hermione kissed every now and then and were nearly always holding hands. Hermione was always laughing now. It was as if she were trying to make up for the year she had missed. There was always a beautiful glow surrounding her. But that's just what love does to girls, Harry had thought. He remembered how much more attractive Cho was once they were going out, and Harry didn't think it was possible for her to be any prettier.   
The strange owl flew to Hermione and dropped another black rose in her lap. She picked it up and stared at it.  
"Another one? I just got one this morning and -" the owl interrupted her by dropping a silver envelope where the rose had been. It took off and flew through the open window.  
Ron was gaping at the rose and envelope with an extremely uneasy look on his face. "well..... open it."  
Hermione picked up the envelope with slightly trembling hands. A strange looking note written on a piece of ripped parchment slipped out.  
  
My love for you will last as long as the roses.  
  
"Huh?" said Harry.   
"The roses...... They've got to die sometime, right?" Wondered Ron.  
"No." Replied Hermione. "It looks like they've got a perpetuity charm on them. These roses will look freshly picked 1,000 years from now!"  
"Oh," Ron looked at the chess board. "I don't really feel like playing chess any more."  
"Okay." Agreed Harry. "We'll just say you won; you were about to anyway,"  
"mmmm.... Was the note signed?" inquired Ron, fretfully.  
"No, there's no signature. That was all that was written on it." Said Hermione, examining the parchment.  
"Oh...... well,....... I'm gonna go to bed."   
Hermione followed him to the boys staircase. She glanced around the room to make sure no one was watching. Before he knew what she was doing, she had slung her arms around his neck and kissed him. They remained like that for about 2 or 3 minutes before Seamus noticed and started whooping.   
"Whoo-hoo! Go Ron!"  
"Love the lipstick!"   
"Keep it up and you're likely to suck each other's tonsils out!"  
"Do that one more time," Shouted Colin."I need a picture" Ginny slapped him on the arm.  
Hermione and Ron broke off, both extremely red. "Well, good night." Said Hermione. She walked to the girls staircase and climbed it like she hadn't heard the whole Gryffindor house laughing.  
"Umm......, yeah. Good night." Replied Ron, after she was out of sight. He was totally stunned that Hermione, of all people, had just walked up, kissed him and then walked away as if no one had seen.   
"Girls remind me of Every Flavor Beans, you never know what you're gonna get." Harry laughed. "I mean, one day, they can be crying and committing suicide and the next walking up and kissing you then just walking away... "  
Ron laughed. "I completely agree."  
  



	7. Embarrassment and Fear

AN- things get juicier. YAY!!  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
The next morning, at breakfast, another black rose arrived for Hermione. As did one during Transfiguration, and charms, and, to Hermione's horror, potions.  
A loud tapping noise broke the silence of Snape's desolate dungeon.   
"Who is it?" the potions master spat. The tapping just got louder. "Who is it?" The tapping noise got louder. Snape stalked to the door and flung it open. "For God's sake, I said who is it?"  
A small owl flew into the room and placed a small silver envelope and black rose on the table Hermione was preparing her ingredients. Hermione stared at it for a moment then reached to pick it up, but Snape beat her to it.  
"How sweet." He said, bitterly. "A token of affection for Miss Granger. We'll just see what's in this envelope, shall we?"  
"Professor --"  
"Quiet, Weasley. Or was it you who sent this? That's detention for disruption of class"  
"But -"  
"You too, Mr. potter. Ten Points from Gryffindor! " he clicked his tongue " what a shame. Slytherin seems to be right on Gryffindor's tail in the House Cup. Wouldn't want to lose it for your house now, would we?" he smiled evilly. " I also have the happy power to change grades from the exams. I dare say, would anyone like to repeat their last year of Hogwarts?" he opened the envelope and scoffed. " Lovely." He cleared his throat." My love for you will last as long as the roses. " Hermione, Ron, and Harry all mouthed the words. But then, Snape continued. " Don't lose heart. Potions was my worst class, too. Your silence solution is sure to be brilliant."   
Hermione began to look like she had before the party; the color was drained from her face.   
Snape disposed of the rose and love letter before they had a chance to look at it. When class ended, Harry and Ron hurried to get to Hermione.  
"Hermione, who's sending those things to you?"Ron asked, frantically.  
"I- I don't know." She was very shaken. it wasn't every day you got a letter stating what you were doing at that exact moment.  
"How did this -- this person -- know what class you were in and what type of potion you were making?"   
"I haven't got a clue, Harry." She stopped to lean her head on a wall. "I need to lie down."  
  
Hermione couldn't go anywhere without a letter and a rose following her. Each time, the letter was different. Each time, it said where she was at and what she was doing.  
Hermione began to have nightmares. There was one dream that was especially scary and it seemed to be the one she had most. She was sleeping or in a class or eating -- whatever -- and an owl came. She would open the envelope and someone would grab her and pull her in. There were eyes everywhere, faces jeering at her through the thick cloud of smoke. It would rain black rose petals, the moon would shine brightly, blanketing the eerie chamber she was trapped in with silver light. Through the storm, she could see a glowering face. It looked so familiar, yet so dangerous and unknown. That would be the last sight Hermione saw before she was drowning in rose petals.   
One night, when she was having this dream again, she was woke by an owl that had flown through the open window of the girl's dormitory. It was carrying nothing less than a black rose and a letter. Hermione considered throwing the parcel out the window after the owl, but decided against it. For some odd reason, she was drawn to the envelope. She opened it with shaking hands.   
  
I'll be watching you  
  
Hermione was frightened. What did that mean? She suddenly got the familiar sensation of being watched. Her eyes flickered to the open window. The very same face that visited her every night in her dreams was peering through it. The full moon cast shadows over his features, silhouetting his profile against the wall. He looked like a satanic apparition from Hell, there to torture Hermione. His eyes were glimmering madly at her like coals, burning in a hearth. A twisted look of hunger was painted across his face.   
Hermione shrieked. The face smiled and disappeared. Hermione ran to the window. She watched as a shadow soared over the lawn like a harpy. Once it got off the Hogwarts grounds, it disappeared all together.  
Parvati and Lavender woke. "What's wrong, Hermione. You sound like you're being massacred." Parvati moaned sleepily.  
"the -- the face."  
"Huh?" asked Lavender.  
"The face and the note and the rose...."  
"You were having a dream, Hermione. I'm going back to bed."  
"You go ahead...." Hermione got up and literally ran to the boy's dormitories. She opened the door to the room where the seventh years slept.  
"Ron?" whispered Hermione.  
"Not now...... "  
"Ron, please -" she was crying. Tears ran down her face and onto Ron.  
"Hermione? What's wrong?" He sat up and held her.  
"I'm so scared, Ron. I got another rose, just now. And....." She stopped. her sobs were waking someone. Hermione prayed that it wasn't Seamus. She didn't think she liked him very much anymore. Luckily, it was Harry.  
"Whassamatter?" he yawned. "Ron? Is that you?"  
"Yeah, Hermione's here too."  
"Oh .........why?"  
"That's what he was about to tell me." Ron spoke soflty,"What's wrong?"  
"Why don't we go to the common room. I -I don't want to wake Seamus."  
Ron grimaced. "Yeah...."  
Once they were settled in the common room, Hermione told them the story. She explained her dream and how she had woke to an owl with a rose. She told them of how she saw the face, and how it smiled when she screamed.  
"Who is this person and what does he want?" Ron demanded, as he lay his head in his hands.  
Harry was stark white. He had heard about things like this on the muggle news all of the time. He could recall how Uncle Vernon had quoted "hanging's the only way to deal with these people," every time something like that came on the news. there were always stories of women getting unwanted mail, and women being followed. It was a crime in Britain, which made it all the more appealing.  
"What we have on our hands" Harry said, grimly, "is a stalker."  
  
Hermione didn't realize the seriousness of stalking. She always regarded it as 'silly' and 'pointless'. It was Harry's and Ron's job to convince her of the point of stalking.   
"Hermione!" cried Ron, extremely exasperated with her. "You don't get it! Do you know what a man would do to a women if he could just pin her down long enough?"  
Hermione gave him a look. "Don't be sick."  
"It's true!" Harry voiced. "Especially for nut jobs like this one. He knows where you are every moment of the day! He could jump out from behind a statue and rape you if he liked!"  
Worry flickered over Hermione's face. It was gone as fast as it had come. "I'll ........ I'll just make sure I'm not alone then, that's all." She said, casually.  
"And how are you going to do that?" said Ron loudly. "You have to sleep sometime and I'd like to see who you've got to follow you into the bathroom!"  
Harry didn't want Hermione and Ron to get into a fight, as they had just made up from the last row they had. "l just wonder how he got onto the grounds."  
"Hmm..." Hermione thought. "I think he flew."  
"On a broomstick?" inquired harry  
"I guess..." She strained to form a memory from a few days ago. "I was still pretty scared, and I couldn't see him, only his shadow. It looked like a broomstick, from what I could see......" She stopped. "When it got off of the grounds, it disappeared completely."  
"Meaning he probably apparated," chimed Ron. "So, does that mean he's fully a qualified wizard?"  
"maybe..." said Harry. "Or at least someone who knows Hermione's schedule and has been in all of the classes before us. Then he'd know what we were going to do."  
" It's probably nothing to worry about." Hermione said. "We leave the day after tomorrow, and he couldn't know my address."  
  



	8. Frightening realization

Hermione had figured her problems were over when she got home. How very wrong she was.  
  
Everything had gone perfect. Hermione's speech had gone wonderful. ( apart from the fact that she momentarily forgot all the words and had imagined herself in her underwear for a second). She kissed Ron at the train station and promised to write him every chance she could. ( She did, too. Sometimes she had to load her owl, Athena, with three of four letters, just as she was returning) Harry had been frightening her through the entire trip home with gruesome stories of stalking and abductions, but was nice when they reached the station.  
Hermione was reading a book in her room when she heard a tapping noise on her window. She ran to it, thinking it was Athena with Ron's letter. An unfamiliar barn owl swooped in, holding a silver envelope and a black rose.  
Hermione screamed. Instinctively, she threw them out the window. Hermione sighed and turned back to her book.  
She gave a strangled yell. The envelope and rose, that she had thrown out the window, lie on the page she was reading.   
Hermione snapped the book shut on the parcel and threw it thing out the window. She laid on her bed -- where the rose and note were already waiting.   
She ran, shrieking, down the stairs. She was alone, her parents had gone to a dentist's convention in London. Hermione picked up the phone and dialed the Dursley's number.  
"Hello?" said a gruff male voice.   
Hermione quickly caught her breath. "H-hullo? Is Harry there?"  
"Who are you?" said the voice, suspiciously.  
"I'm - I'm Hermione Granger. I need to speak to Harry."  
"You wouldn't happen to be from that school, would you?" The man, who Hermione figured was Harry's uncle, Vernon, was alarmed.  
"this is urgent!" She cried.  
"Answer the question, girl,"  
"yes but -- " there was a click as he hung up on her. Hermione redialed the number. "Please!"  
"LEAVE MY FAMILY ALONE!" He shouted. Hermione dropped the phone.  
"Please!" she shouted. "This is very serious and I can't reach anyone else! I need help -"  
"DAMN RIGHT YOU DO!"  
Another voice appeared in the background. "Who is it, Vernon?" she asked.  
"Some nut for Harry."   
Hermione recognized Harry's voice. "It's for me?"  
"NO"  
"You just said it was! Who is it?"  
"How should I know?"  
"It's Hermione!" she cried. "Tell him it's Hermione."  
"Shut it." Mr. Dursley snapped.  
Harry groaned. "Is it a boy or a girl?"  
"It's Hermione!!" she repeated. "please, sir, just say that it's Hermione and that I got another rose."  
"It's some girl about a rose," Mr. Dursley muttered.  
There was a chink of breaking glass and a woman in the background screamed.  
" CLEAN IT UP!!! ALL OF IT!! DINNER, ALL OVER MY NICE CLEAN FLOOR..."  
"Reparo" Harry said. Hermione frowned, he wasn't really supposed to do magic around muggles. She supposed it was acceptable at home. He performed another spell to clean up the mess.  
"DAMN IT, BOY, WHAT HAVE WE TOLD YOU ABOUT THE USE OF YOUR ........ ABNORMALITY .... IN THIS HOUSE?"  
"I cleaned it up, didn't I?"  
Hermione glanced at a patch of moon light on the counter, where the rose and note were laying, innocently.  
Hermione gasped. "Please, sir!" She exclaimed. "I need to speak to harry! The rose..... It's here....following me...... "Hermione's breathing had become deep and uneven."... Going to get me......... Going to die......."  
"I think you're friend is having a nervous break down, Harry" Said Mr. Dursley. There was a sound that indicated Harry wrestling the phone out of Vernon's hands.  
"Hermione? What's wrong?"  
"The rose........" she repeated. "it's here......following me.......going to get me.......going to die..."  
"Hermione! Calm down!" Harry sounded almost as frantic as she did. "Begin at the beginning."  
"I was reading.... An owl came...... delivered the rose and a note.....threw it out the window.....it came back..."  
Harry gasped.   
"....Threw it out the window again, as well as the book...... laid down on my bed.......It was already there.....ran downstairs...... called you. I -- just saw it again -- lying on the counter......in a patch of moon light,"  
"Hermione? Do you have a garbage disposal?"  
"Yes,"  
"Put it in the garbage disposal and turn it on. The other times you got rid of it, but you didn't destroy it."  
"That makes sense, I guess." She stuffed the rose and the note into the sink and flipped the switch. With a sickening gurgle, the note and rose were gone. "It's done." She said.  
The lights in Hermione's kitchen were off. The only light was the pale glow of the moon. Hermione walked to the bathroom and locked the door. She felt safer there, it was the only room without windows.   
"harry, how does he know where I live?"  
"I -- don't know...."   
Hermione flipped on the light and nearly fainted. A shriek echoed through her neighborhood that Hermione recognized as her own.   
"Hermione? HERMIONE? Are you all right? Hermione?"  
"The rose..... It's here."  
Harry's eyes widened. He knew what she had to do. "Hermione." He said, "You've got to open that letter."  
"I don't want to, Harry." She whimpered, frightened. "It scares me to death. What does he want? Why won't he just go away!"  
"Open it, Hermione."  
"All right," she moaned. She tore it open. A letter fell out.   
  
I have to touch you. You drive me mad. I'm coming for you. I know where you are, I know what you're doing. You're on the phone, talking to Harry Potter, in the bathroom. I can see everything you do...........  
  
Hermione shrieked. She read the letter to Harry, who didn't speak for a moment.  
"Hermione." He said, shakily. "Don't come out of the bathroom. Don't go anywhere or do anything. I'll have to fly to your house. It's not that far."  
"What if he gets here before you do? Apparently, he's a wizard, if he took potions and was able to look through a seventh story window."  
"You know the spell to make sure the Alohomora charm doesn't work, right?"  
"Oh, yeah. Why didn't I think of that?"  
"Maybe because your trapped in a bathroom by some mad stalker?"  
"but he could apparate!"  
"Well,..... we'll just have to hope he doesn't."  
  
Luckily, harry didn't live very far from Hermione. It was only about an hour's drive and a half an hour's flight. Harry got there just as Hermione was on the verge of a nervous break down.  
"Hermione?" Harry called.  
"GO AWAY!!!" She screamed. "I WON'T LET YOU IN!"  
"It's me, Harry!"   
Hermione unlocked the door. She threw her arms around Harry and hugged him.  
"Oh, Harry! I thought you'd never get here!"  
'I thought I'd never get here." Harry said. "A firebolt seems a lot slower when a friend is in danger." He helped her to the kitchen, she couldn't stand very well much less walk. "The first thing we have to do is get you out of here without him knowing. I guess you'll have to stay at the Dursley's' for now. I can't think of any other place to put you, even if we send a letter to Ron now, he won't get it until tomorrow."  
"Yeah... How are we going to get to the Dursley's house?"  
"Fly."  
"Fly?" Hermione began to look rather sick. "I'd rather keep my feet on the ground, if you don't mind."  
"And be caught by your stalker?" Harry asked.  
Hermione's got a torn look on her face. "I guess I'll fly," she mumbled.  
The flight was extremely uncomfortable, Harry and Hermione both would have agreed. Hermione didn't like heights, and Harry didn't like people moaning in his ear while he was flying. The worst part, was how Hermione felt as if she were being watched. Every now and then, her head would snap back, searching for a face, or at least a pair of eyes, watching her........ She kept thinking she had seen a person on a broomstick under them, above them, everywhere......despite the invisibility cloak.  
After what seemed like hours, they finally landed in the Dursley's back garden. harry threw off the invisibility cloak and went to find Hermione, who had gone running the moment they landed. He found her being violently sick.   
"I HATE heights." She said as she cleaned her mess up.  
"Well, lets get you inside." Harry led Hermione to the back door of the house and let himself and Hermione in.  
"Who's your friend, Harry?" said a titanically fat boy with blonde hair and three or four chins.  
"Go away, Dudley."  
"Not until you tell me who your friend is."  
"Her name's Hermione. Now go away before I blast you to bits." He held out his wand, threateningly.  
For a moment, he looked deathly afraid. He smiled stupidly. "You can't. You'll be thrown in that prison of yours -"  
"Petrificus Totalus!" Dudley's obese body snapped together as if my remote control. Hermione recognized the spell as the full body bind.  
"HARRY!" Shouted the gruff voice from Hermione's telephone conversation. "I HEARD THAT! UNDO IT NOW!"  
"Harry, don't you think we've got enough trouble to deal with without you getting your mind beat out of you?" Hermione said, her eyebrows raised.  
"Yeah, I guess you're right." He performed the counter curse as a large, mustached man clomped into the room.  
"Who's this?" he barked.  
"I'm the one you talked to on the phone, remember?" she said, politely.  
"The one with the rose........ right." He said, as if she were completely mad. he backed away a bit.   
"C'mon" Harry muttered to Hermione. "we don't want to stay around him too long. Plus, we have to write Ron."  
"Yeah. Oh, I wish he were here........"  
When they got to Harry's room, he pulled out a long bit of parchment. "Do you want to write it?"  
"I don't think I could..." she said, infatuated with the collection of nearly untouched books.   
"all right. Now, how should I begin."  
" 'Dear Ron,' would be nice." Hermione said.  
Harry laughed sarcastically. "Funny."  
Dear Ron,  
I got a phone call from Hermione earlier this evening. She had gotten another rose. She called me because I was the only one she knew with a phone. Any way, the rose and note followed her, even after she threw it out the window and chopped it up. I made her read the note and it said that he needed to touch her and he was coming for her and that he could see everything she was doing. I have her here with me now. She's safe at the moment, so don't worry. Get here as fast as you can!  
  
- Harry  
PS Hermione says that she loves you.  
  
"That works." He said to himself as he finished to note. Harry took Hedwig out of her cage and tied the letter to her foot.   
Hermione watched as she flew away. "I hope Hedwig's quick. I need to see Ron. I really miss him. "  
"I know. He'll get the letter soon and you can have him then."  
  



	9. Shadows of a Stalker

Ron was at breakfast as he received Harry's letter. Hedwig landed stealthily on the scrubbed wooden table situated in the middle of the cramped kitchen.   
"Who's it from, Ron?" asked Ginny, as he untied the note from Hedwig'd foot.  
"Harry. I'd know Hedwig anywhere."  
"Well, see what he says. When you write him back you'll have to ask him if he wants to come stay with us." Mrs. Weasley said as she piled eggs on everyone's plates. "Hermione, too."  
"Ron's girlfriend" Fred swooned. George began whistling.  
"Shut it, you two, or I'll tease you about Angelina and Alicia." Ron laughed. His smile was wiped off his face as he began to read the letter. He gave a yell. Ron stood up so fast that he knocked his orange juice off the table and onto the floor.   
"What's wrong?" inquired Mr. Weasley.  
"Hermione!" he gasped. "She got another rose!"  
The entire family was puzzled. "So?" asked Bill.  
Ron explained the whole stalker incident. By the time he reached the letter, Ginny was whiter than the milk she had spilled all over her clothes, entranced with the story. Percy's expression had changed from solemn to grim and Mrs. Weasley's hands were purple from where she had been twisting a dish cloth around her wrists. Fred and George were even concerned.  
"I have to go and and see if she's all right. Dad, what's the fastest way of getting there?"  
"Apparating, but, unfortunately, you haven't taken your test yet. Next to that, I'd say floo powder, but we all know what happened last time we tried to get into the Dursley's by floo powder. Hmmm...." Mr. Weasley thought for a moment. "I could have a portkey arranged for us"  
"How long will that take?" Ron asked, pacing the kitchen as if he were trying to wear a hole in the floor.  
"Only a few minutes, if I say it's an emergency."  
Before he knew it, Ron was standing in a grove of trees a block from 4 Privet Drive.  
He, his father, and the rest of the family trooped down the street and to number 4.  
Ron ran to the front step and rang the bell.  
A horse faced, blonde women answered. "yes?" she said politely.  
"Where's - Hermione?" he panted, having just ran a block to get there.  
The woman, who must've bee Harry's aunt, went pale. "Vernon! It's another one of them!"  
Vernon Dursley stormed to the door, chins and all. "Go away! We don't want any!"  
"I know she's here! She's with Harry!"  
The rest of the Weasley had appeared on the stoop. Mr. Dursley looked left, then right and pulled them inside. "Harry's upstairs in his room, The girl's there, too."  
He said, nervously watching the twins. Dudley had walked into the front hall, gave a strangled whimper of fright, and went running. Fred and George sniggered and were fighting hard not to burst out laughing. However, one look from their mother surpressed their laughter.   
Ron ran up the flight of stairs and burst through the first door he could find. it was a neat and tidy room with one nicely made bed and a window seat. "Wrong room" Ron muttered to himself a she changed directions and headed for the next door. This room was extremely cluttered with broken T.V. sets and computers. There was one bed and a load of food protruding out from under it. Ron groaned and headed for the last two doors. he closed his eyes and chose the door on the far left. He burst in on Hermione and Harry, who were deep in conversation about what they planned to do once they graduated  
"Hermione!" He cried. he took her in his arms and began passionately kissing her.  
"Ahem" Mr. Weasley cleared his throat. Fred and George were doubled up with silent giggles. Mrs. Weasley sniffed and wiped her eyes mumbling something about Ron being all grown up and how romantic this whole thing was.   
Hermione was extremely embarrassed. She was blushing so hard you could fry an egg on her."Er..... hullo .........everybody.  
Mrs., Weasley bustled over to her. "Oh, Hermione , you had us all so worried! Are you all right?"  
Hermione smiled. Mrs. Weasley worried about everyone. "I'm fine. just a little shaken, I guess."  
"You have a right to be!" She exclaimed. "being trapped in a bathroom while someone's threatening you......" Mrs. Weasley shuddered. "well, I just can't bear to think of what might have happened!"  
"She's fine, mum," said Ron. "The important thing is nothing happened." A concerned look passed over his face. "Well, now what? Do you just want to stay here?"  
"I doubt it," said harry, bitterly. "I don't even want to stay here."  
"Why don't you both come stay with us?" offered Mr. Weasley, his eyebrows raised. "Heaven knows, this isn't the best place to be if you're a wizard."  
They all trooped downstairs. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley bid the Dursley's a polite good-bye and thanked them for taking care of Hermione for Mr. and Mrs. Granger.   
"That's-that's .... Just - just go!" Vernon had replied to their gratitude.   
The Weasley's were stunned at their lack of hospitality.  
  
By the time they got back to the Burrow, it was nearly time for dinner. Mrs. Weasley hurriedly prepared a wonderful meal for them all. The table in the kitchen wouldn't seat the whole family, Harry, and Hermione, so they ate out in the garden. Hermione preferred it that way; it was a beautiful evening in June and the sunset looked as if it had been expertly painted across the horizon.   
As they ate, Hermione found that everyone was looking at her, Ron especially. Where everyone only glanced at her every few moments, Ron stared. He didn't take his eyes off her through the entire meal; even when he passed a dish. One time, as he went to pick up the plate of potatoes, his elbow slipped and went right into his food. Hermione could feel his eyes on her, and it was beginning to make her extremely uncomfortable.  
"Ron," Hermione asked him quietly.   
"yes?"  
"Why are you staring at me?"  
"I'm not staring at you."   
"You are too!" she muttered. "You haven't taken your eyes off me all through dinner!"  
"I haven't?" Ron seemed confused. "Sorry, I guess I didn't realize I was doing it."  
Hermione went back to her dinner.   
"Ron!" She exclaimed. "You're doing it again!"  
"I'm not," he said, his eyebrows raised. "I was looking at the sky!"   
Hermione realized he was right. He had been looking the opposite direction. "Then why do I feel like I'm being watched?"  
harry gasped. "What? You-you feel like someone's watching you?"  
"That's not good." Said Charlie.  
Hermione swiveled around in her chair. She stared into the woods that surrounded the Weasley's garden.   
"What's wrong, Hermione?" asked Ginny, delicately  
"I -I saw ....... someone."  
Mrs. Weasley covered her mouth with her hand. "Who did you see?"  
"I... I don't know who he is ..... It's the stalker......"  
Ron got up. "Who's there?" he yelled. "What do you want?"  
It was unmistakable, you can't be imagining it when 10 other people saw a cloaked figure run through the woods.  
"GET HERMIONE INSIDE!!" Ron shouted, as he ran to catch the man.  
mrs. Weasley grabbed Ginny and Hermione and scurried inside. She locked the door behind them.   
All the men had ran to get the cloaked figure. They figured, since they all knew what this guy was after, it would be best if the women stayed behind.   
"Stupefy!" Mr.Weasley shouted. Ron ducked as the spell passed over him. The sun had gone down completely, now, and you couldn't see two feet in front of you.  
"Lumos." They lighted their wands.  
"Where'd - he - go" panted harry.  
"I dunno..." murmured Ron, impaitiently. " But when I get my hands on this guy...." He made a violent gesture in the air.   
"if he can watch Hermione, he's probably pretty good at magic." said Percy, logically. "I'd be careful if I were you."  
"Who needs wands?" Ron gritted his teeth. "I'm gonna rip him apart with -- my -- bare -- hands."  
"well, no one's going to rip anyone apart tonight." Mr. Weasley said, loudly. "He seems to have apparated. Lets go home."  
  



	10. When Dreams Become Realities

AN - gosh I'm bad at titles. O well. this ends sorta clike a cliff hanger, but never fear! the next chapter is here!  
  
~*~*~  
  
That night Hermione had another dream. She was standing at a little pool in the middle of a beautiful grotto. It was night and the stars couldn't be brighter. They seemed to smile down at her. The air was warm and sweet. Ron was there, too. They were having a wonderful time swimming, laughing, and splashing each other. They were just about to kiss when a noise distracted them. It was the sound of a twig breaking, a cloaked figure loomed from the dark forest. Hermione screamed. Ron seized her wrist and puled her out of the pond. They were running barefoot through the woods, dodging trees. Hermione tripped. her hand slipped out of Ron's. He was screaming for her. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears. Hermione tried to call out to him, but found she couldn't. She couldn't move or speak for fear. A man's burly frame was standing over her. He picked her up and started in the opposite direction. Hermione fought and kicked, could nothing save her? The man didn't flinch when she bit him, nor when she punched. He was calmly carrying her off, deep into the woods. All the while, he was laughing madly. "You are mine"  
Hermione woke. She was extremely cold, and yet she was sweating. her hands were clammy and she was trembling. Hermione lied back down and fell asleep, completely forgetting her dream.  
  
The next evening, Ron slipped her a note at dinner. On the outside, it said "read in private!" so she pocketed it until the meal was over. Hermione ran to the bathroom to read what it said.   
  
Dear Hermione:  
In the woods behind the house there's this little pond. It's right in the middle of a really awesome grotto. I was thinking that we could maybe go swimming tonight, after everyone goes to bed. You see, were not really supposed to go there, my mum doesn't like the woods very much, but it's really nice and I thought you might enjoy it. I wanted you to read this in private because you're nearly always with Ginny and she'd make you show her the letter.  
With love, Ron  
  
Hermione smiled. Ron was so sweet. He was right, though, what he said about Ginny. She had the ability to make you do whatever she wanted. Hermione knew that she couldn't keep her mouth shut, she'd tell Mrs. Weasley about Ron's plan the first chance she got. it wasn't as if she meant to, Ginny just let things slip sometimes.  
Ron was in the kitchen, discussing quidditch tactics with all of the guys (Bill, Charlie, the twins, and Harry), Hermione sat down next to him at the small table.  
" can I see you for a moment?" She asked.  
"Er... sure." They went into the front room.  
"I just read your note," she said, smiling. "It sounds wonderful."  
Ron grinned. "I knew you'd agree. so, we'll meet at about ... midnight?"  
"Sounds great."  
"You just wait, the stars are so bright. You can see all of the constellations and planets. It's really gorgeous."  
Hermione noticed how close they were standing. Ron was about to put his arms around her when -   
"Hermione?" Ginny called "Where are you?"  
Ron drew back. Not now, Ginny. She thought. "I'm right here." Hermione said, sounding rather annoyed.  
  
It was about 11:30 when Ginny asked why Hermione was still awake.  
" I just can't sleep." She said uneasily.  
"Oh, then we could talk or play a game."  
"No, on second thought, I am tired. I think I'm going to go to sleep." She lied down on the camp bed she was sleeping on.  
"I'm not." Ginny mumbled. "Just one game of gobstones or something?"  
Hermione sighed. "Ginny, you need to go to sleep."  
"Why?" she asked, suspiciously.  
"Because ... well, you just need to sleep."  
"You're not telling me something, I know it." Ginny grinned. "Tell me."   
"No."  
"Please!" she moaned. She got that innocent 'I'm not going to tell' look on her face.  
"Oh, okay!" Hermione paused. She, unsuccessfully, tried to come up with a quick cover story... "Fine, It was Ron's idea, but.... Ron and I are going swimming in a little pond in a grotto. The one in the woods." She added, impishly.  
"We're not supposed to go in there."   
"I know. Ron told me, but isn't that what makes it fun? There's an element of danger..."   
" oooh." Ginny sighed. "That sounds so romantic. Are you sure it was Ron who came up with this?"  
Hermione laughed and gave Ginny a look. "He's really sweet to me, you know. Even if he can tend to be a jerk sometimes."  
Ginny giggled. "I think that's just a male characteristic."  
Hermione and Ginny laughed about their experiences with men for quite a while before Hermione noticed the time.  
"It's about midnight." She said. "I'd better be going."  
"Have fu-un." Ginny said, in a singsong voice.  
"I wi-ill" Hermione replied, mocking Ginny's tone.  
Hermione crept stealthily down the vast staircase. As she reached the last stair, someone's hand clapped over her mouth.  
Hermione's scream was stifled by the hand. The person spun her around. Hermione was greatly relieved to see that it was Ron.  
"Don't you ever do that to me again!" she whispered. "I thought you were that stalker or something."  
"Sorry." He said, smiling. He kissed her. "let's go."  
It was beautiful walking through the woods. The moon was just a tiny crescent, but emitted a soft, silver glow. The trees cast shadows over the forest floor, creating a striped look. A thin, nearly unrecognizable path led to a clearing.   
"Wait." said Ron, as they approached it. He put his hands over her eyes.   
Hermione grinned broadly. Ron removed his hands to reveal a sparkling fairy tale land. The bushes and trees were cascaded with little glowing fairy lights, each a different color. In the middle of the grotto was a crystal clear pool, sitting placidly like a gem. Ron took off his shirt and dove in. The air was warm and sweet. The stars winked and smiled. Hermione felt as if she had been in the exact same situation once before. But that's impossible, she told herself. I've never been here before in my life! So why does it feel like I remember this..."  
"Are you going to swim or just stand there until the sun comes up?" Ron asked, jokingly.  
Hermione laughed and jumped in. The water felt like silk. It was the perfect temperature, not too warm, so that it felt like a bath, but just cool enough to be pleasant.  
Hermione admired the surrounding for a moment. She paid for her lapse of attention. Ron had swum up behind her and grabbed her ankles.  
They laughed and played for hours. Their fingers had began to look wrinkled, and yet they had no intentions of leaving. Things were going perfect. It had gotten darker, indicating that the sun was about to come up.   
Ron came up from below the water. "so, I take it you like it here."  
"I love it." She swam over to Ron. He was at the middle of the pond, where Hermione's feet could just reach the bottom. Ron took her and held her close to him. They were about to kiss, when an owl fluttered by. It dropped a parcel in the water.  
It was a silver envelope and a black rose.  
Hermione screamed. Ron seized the note and tore it open.  
  
You are mine  
  



	11. COnfrontation

Hermione shrieked. Memories came flooding back to her. There was a forest, and a pool, and a man. The grotto ...... it was familiar to her because she had seen it in her dream. A twig cracked, just as it did in her nightmare. A cloaked figure lurked out of the woods. Hermione screamed and Ron grabbed her wrist and ran. She held tight to him. She concentrated on the ground, squinting to see the floor. Clouds had blanketed the sky, concealing their only source of light. Hermione tripped. Ron lost his grip on her.  
"Hermione!" he cried "Hermione! where are you?"  
She tried to cry out, but just as in her dream, she couldn't speak. She felt as if the root that had tripped her had held her to the ground. She scrambled to her feet but fell down again. The man who had appeared in Hermione's dream loomed over her. He picked her up and carried her away. The feeling in her body came rushing to her al at once. Hermione yelled and called out to Ron.  
"HELP!" She cried. "RON!!!"  
The man pressed his hand to her mouth. She could hardly breathe, but fought with all the strength she had.  
The sun was coming up. The clouds that hid the moon also hid the sun. It was dark and misty in the thick woods. As they headed deeper, the trees grew denser and undergrowth almost carpeted the ground. A slight rain had begun to fall. The man stopped and laid Hermione down.   
"Locomotor mortis!" an extremely familiar voice said. Hermione's legs sprung together. She was being tied to a tree. The cloak eclipsed his face, so that Hermione had no clue who her stalker was.  
"WHO ARE YOU?" she shrieked. "WHAT DO YOU WANT?"  
The man reached up and pulled off his hood. Hermione recognized the man as Viktor Krum.  
  
Ron stumbled through the forest. The trees were thinning as the sun came up. Rain fell lightly over his body as he ran to get to the Burrow. Hermione was gone and the last sound he heard from her was his name. Her voice echoed through his mind, giving him strength to push on.  
Ron finally saw what he thought was the best sight in the world, the Burrow. Percy was sitting in the garden, having his early morning cup of tea. He barely recognized Ron as he ran up to him, mud soaked and shirtless.  
"Ron?" he said, in a tone of disapproval. "Where have you been?"  
"No time to explain. Apparate to Mum and Dad's room and get Dad. I'll get Fred, George, and Harry. You get Bill and Charlie."  
"Why?"  
"JUST GO!" with a pop, he was gone. Ron ran into the house and up the stairs. He woke the twins and Harry.  
"What's wrong?" Harry asked, groggily.  
"Where's the fire?" asked George.  
"Go away," said Fred.  
"Hermione's been abducted by the stalker!" Ron cried, frantically. Suddenly, no one was tired anymore.  
"What? How?" they asked.  
Ron groaned in frustration. "I'll tell you later. Just grab your wands and come on!"  
They were all outside in the garden. Ron explained what was going on as they walked into the woods.  
"The last I heard was her screaming my name -" he stopped. The memory of her voice was etched deeply into his mind. It hurt Ron to hear the only woman he ever loved scream in such fear and pain.  
Harry watched sympathetically as Ron fought back the tears. "She's okay, Ron. I can feel it. We'll find her." He said. he sounded more sure than he felt.  
The forest was growing thicker. It had begun to rain. The drops fell hard on their faces, impairing their vision. Thunder roared and lightning split the grey-black sky.  
The wind moaned. The storm was harsh and cruel. It seemed to symbolize Ron's feelings; he wanted to yell and scream, he wanted to tear something apart, and yet, he wanted to cry first. He couldn't hold it in any longer. Tears mingled with rain on his face.   
They came upon a little clearing only a few feet wide. Hermione was tied to a tree next to a pit full of purple, waterproof fire.   
"Hermione!" Ron cried. He ran to her, untied her, then kissed her.  
"Ron ....." Hermione said, between kisses. "You ......can't .....stay"  
"Do you know who did this to you?" he asked.  
"Yes," said a voice from behind him. "It vas me."   
"Viktor!" Ron cried. he was nearly unrecognizable. His dark eyes were windows to his heart, cold and ruthless. Viktor advanced on Ron, looking a more disturbed and dangerous by the step.  
"I have been vanting to see you, Ron" he said, poisonously. " You stole   
Herm-own-ninny, and now you must pay." Viktor pulled out his wand and started throwing curses like diatribes.   
A curse hit Ron. He fell to the ground in pain. Hermione screamed.  
Viktor's mouth curved into a murderous smile. Besides himself, Ron and Hermione were the only one's conscious. Viktor had stunned the rest of the men. " Do you haff any last vords, Ron?"  
"Yes,....." he winced in pain. "Hermione, tell everyone that I'm sorry I didn't get to say good bye. Will you tell them that?"  
"Y - yes." She sobbed.  
"Hermione?"  
"Yes,"   
"I love you"  
She tried to run to him, but tripped; her legs were still bound. "I love you too!" She cried as she tried to get to her feet.  
It was more than Viktor could handle. he pointed his wand strait at Ron's heart.  
"Viktor!!" Hermione wailed. "what are you going to accomplish by killing Ron?"   
"Everything."  
"I DON'T LOVE YOU! KILLING RON WON'T MAKE ME LOVE YOU! SEDUCING ME WON'T MAKE ME LOVE YOU, EITHER! I HATE YOU! IF YOU KILL RON, I'LL ONLY HATE YOU WORSE!" Hermione screamed at the top of her lungs. her words seemed to have hit a weak spot.  
"But - but vith Ron gone, you vould have no one else but me."  
"I don't have to go out with someone, Viktor. It's not a law." Hermione paused. "Have you ever stopped to think of how much pain you'd cause me by killing someone who's not only a lover, but a friend? Imagine how you'd feel if someone murdered me!"  
"I'd never forgive the murderer." He mumbled.  
"Exactly! I'll never forgive you if you kill him, Viktor."   
"But -"  
"And what exactly were you trying to accomplish by abducting me?" Hermione was shaking uncontrollably.  
"I don't know... I just, I just went crazy......" Viktor had lowered his wand. He sank to the ground. "I didn't want you to break up with me. I couldn't handle it. I didn't want it to end, I kept telling myself it vasn't over."   
Hermione felt almost bad for him. She glanced at Ron, who was wincing with pain. Her sympathy vanished. "And those roses! You scared me half to death with them!" She said, severely  
"I didn't mean to scare you. I just vanted to show you how much I loved you."  
"Staring through my window and making roses follow me isn't love!" Hermione snapped. "Now, take this curse off me." Viktor got up and performed the counter curse. Hermione's legs sprang apart. '"Wake everyone up," she ordered.  
"ennervate!" Viktor mumbled. he stared at the ground, ashamed of himself.  
"What happened?"   
"Why is Viktor here?"  
"Did you catch the stalker?"  
Viktor didn't look up. He was silent. Mr. Weasley began to understand. " Viktor, you're the stalker, aren't you?"  
"Yes," They all looked abashed. "I did not mean any harm! I just vanted   
Herm-own-ninny back! I did not mean to scare her!"  
"Hmph!" Said Hermione, "He only meant to kill Ron!" She fled to his side. ""Ron", She sobbed. "Please don't die!"  
"Hermione?" he reached up to her. Ron extended his hand to her cheek. He wiped away her tear."Don't cry. I'll be fine. Trust me. I'll be fine, and you'll be fine and we'll live happily ever after."  
"I love you, Ron."  
His eye's slid out of focus. "I love you, Hermione......" his hand dropped. He had either fainted or....  
"You killed him!" Hermione shrieked at Viktor. She got up and ran at him. "YOU KILLED HIM!" Fred and George grabbed her arms. "I HATE YOU! YOU KILLED HIM! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU! I HATE YOU!!" Hermione fell into Harry's arms, wailing.   
"Shah...." Said Harry, feeling tears spring in his own eyes.  
"I hate him.....never..... I'll never forgive him........ever...."  
They headed towards the Burrow. Mr. Weasley magicked himself and Ron back as fast as he could, leaving the others to walk by themselves.  
Hermione was so pale. She looked worse than she ever had, even when she was poisoned at the party. She couldn't walk, out of grief. Every now and then, she'd fall on her knees and shout "I hate you" or something like that. She screamed in anguish. Hermione was drowning in sadness, crying and gasping for breath . She fell and deeply cut her hand, but kept moving as nothing had happened. By the time they got back to the burrow, her remorse was nearly killing her.   



	12. The End (don't wanna ruin it for ye)

AN - the lastest part, for all you wonderful readers who didn't abondon me and my super huge story. THANK YOU!!!!!   
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
Mr. Weasley was sitting in the back garden, having a talk with Viktor, as they reached the Burrow.   
"We'll have to press charges, you know, Viktor." Mr.Weasley was telling him "Stalking is a serious crime and abduction is even worse."   
"I know. I don't know vhat came over me."  
"If Ron dies, you'll be charged with man slaughter or even murder."  
"You mean.... He isn't already dead?" Harry gasped.  
"no, but he's not doing very well."  
"Please." Sobbed Hermione. "I need to see him."  
Mr. Weasley led her to his room. He lie on his bed, looking tranquil and serene. Hermione watched in silence, as the doctor examined him. Mrs. Weasley had apparated to the nearest wizarding doctor's office and called upon Dr. McCull. She   
was looking rather pale. After what seemed like hours of spells and potions and experiments, she finally looked up.  
"Mr. and Mrs. Weasley." Dr. McCull said.  
"Yes," they chorused, anxiously. Hermione was going out of her mind with worry.  
"I'm afraid I'm not a very good healer." She smiled. Her large blue eyes flickered behind her oval, thin framed glasses. Hermione wondered, numbly, how she could be happy when she had just pronounced ron to be dead. "It took me longer than it should have to cure him."   
They all jumped to their feet, overjoyed. Hermione ran strait to his side.  
"Ron!" She said  
"Hullo, Hermione." He said.   
"You're alive!" she cried, wrapping her arms around him.  
"Of course I am..." They kissed. "Is everything all right between you and Viktor?"  
"I don't know, and I don't care. I'm having his thrown in prison forever and ever, if I can. He nearly killed you!"  
Viktor was serving twenty-five years in Vlazban, a prison in Bulgaria that wasn't nearly as bad as Azkaban. For one, the guards are human, not dementor. This prison was for fugitives who's crimes weren't as serious. Viktor was being charged with stalking and attempted man slaughter. Hermione's heart was still hostile to the thought of him, until the letter arrived.  
  
Dear Hermione:  
I am really sorry for all of the trouble I've caused you. I'm getting what I deserve. It was wrong of me to stalk you, I don't know what I was thinking. I still love you, but I won't send you any black roses or letters anymore. I don't blame you for hating me, and if you never forgive me, I understand.   
  
Sorry, Viktor  
PS, I wish you and Ron the best of luck.  
  
Hermione had pondered the letter for a while. She was completely mindless all day, staring deep into the sky. Was it her, or was everyone acting funny?  
When Mrs. Weasley asked her to set the table, she sobbed and smiled strangely. Ginny kept giggling at odd moments. When anyone passed her, they'd snigger. For some reason, when she spoke to him, Ron didn't quite meet her eyes.  
"Ron?" She asked him.  
As he turned to look at her, he looked utterly frightened. "Y-yeah?"   
"Is there something wrong? Or something I missed, everyone seems to be acting rather funny."  
"I - I haven't noticed."   
She frowned."All right...."  
At dinner, Ron looked more afraid than Hermione could remember seeing him. At dessert, which Hermione noticed was more extravagant than usual, he slipped her a little velvet box. She opened it and gasped.  
Sitting on a cushion of satin was the most beautiful ring Hermione had ever seen. It looked almost like an engagement ring.  
"Ron........ is this.....?" she stammered.  
"Yes,…" he replied, nervously. "Hermione, will you marry me?"  
She was shocked. She stared at him, lost for words. Hermione threw her arms around him "Of course I will!" she cried.  
The whole table, which had been completely quiet, cheered. After a bunch of "Congratulations!" and "Welcome to the family," Hermione and Ron escaped to the woods. They walked for hours on end, just enjoying one another's company. Once in a while, they'd talk about the future or reflect upon the past. The universe seemed to revolve around them, they were the only two people in the entire world.   
  
Hermione couldn't sleep that night. She sat on the camp bed and thought about everything that had happened. She was getting married. It was a wonderful feeling, to know that someone loves you enough to spend the rest of his life by your side. Somewhere under her bliss, a dark vision sprung upon her. She saw Viktor, in a prison cell, looking so lonely. Hermione felt a surge of guilt. The letter he had written stared at her from the side table.  
She sat up and got a piece of parchment and a quill from her bag.  
"Lumos" she muttered. Hermione went under the blankets, to stifle the light. She didn't want to wake Ginny. Hermione wondered what to write.  
  
Dear Viktor:  
Ron and I are engaged. He proposed tonight at dinner. Thought I'd tell you.  
From, Hermione.  
  
She sat the quill down and laid back onto her pillow. Hermione thought about the letter. Something was missing......  
Hermione sat back up. She illuminated her wand.  
  
PS, I forgive you.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Author's note: Heh heh heh. Sweet,huh? I don't write fluffy fairy tale stories, my stories have somewhat realistic endings( for instance, it would be a fluffy ending if they didn't press charges against Viktor.). Anyway, there are just a few thing I wanted to clear up. When Hermione and Ron were making out at theparty in the beginning, I meant kissing standing up, not anything extremely gross like that. When Hermione "empties the bottle in three seconds flat" she was drinking it. K? Strangely enough, this story started out as a single sentence. I was home sick from school and thought of a great sentence for a fan fiction story. I ended up deleting the sentence and I can't even remember what it was! An other inspiration for the story was Angela's Ashes. It's a really depressing movie. That's where I got Ron's drinking problem( every man in that movie is a drunk!). Also, I was reading an article on stalkers and thoguht about making this a stalker fic ( I was going to go an entirely different way witht this). I like Viktor Krum, he's sweet but he seems a bit obsessive. Plus, I needed to pick on someone. lol! I purposely messed up Viktor's grammar cuz that's how it is in the book. Okay.... PLeeez review, I beg of you. This was a long and very painstaking process, figuring out how to upload *sob* If you don't review, all that time will have been wasted....*cries hysetrically* *regains dignity* ok....   
  
Disclaimer: Sadly, none of these wonderful characters belong to me. The only character who does is Dr. McCull, who doesn't really count. hm... maybe I'll launch an evil scheme to take these characterss MWHHAHAHA!!!!! ....or not.....^_^   



	13. Epilogue

~*Epilogue*~  


  
Of course, Ron and Hermione we're married the two years later. The wedding was a beautiful, large one, and would have been perfect if Ron didn't forget what he was supposed to say at the alter and Hermione hadn't started crying (from happiness ^_^) in the middle. They spent the next two months traveling around the world.  
  
Inspired by Hermione and Ron's wedding, Harry proposed to Cho a few days later. Their wedding was also nearly perfect, though Cho fainted after she said "I do". They spent their honeymoon in the Bahamas.   
  
Ginny ended up marrying Colin Creevey. They were very happy, even though Ginny frequently needed to get away from Colin and Magical Photographs Inc., the company he set up.   
  
Three years after they were married, Hermione gave birth to Adelle Virginia Weasely. She was born prematurely and gave her family plenty to worry about for the next few weeks. In time, she grew dark red hair, and her eyes turned to deep blue. She was their pride and joy. Ron and Hermione only had one child, as Ron came from such a large family and didn't want that for his children.   
  
Harry and Cho had twin girls shortly after Adelle was born. The first was Genevieve, who looked and acted very much like Cho, and the second was Guinevere, who looked and acted more like Harry, aside the fact that her eyes (which, like her twin's were the same shade of green as Harry's) were slightly slanted. They also had a son, James.  
  
Ginny also had twins, Maria and Darin. They were very troublesome..^_^  
  
Hermione and Ron had a long engagement due to the fact that Ron was in rehab for his problem. He had been going to therapy in secret and was completely cured by the time the wedding rolled around. Hermione had gotten into an argument with him the night before the wedding about getting help, as she thought he was procrastinating. However, they had forgotten about the row by the next day. During the reception, Ron stood up and announced that he was cured, giving Hermione the best wedding gift she could have asked for.   
  
Viktor was invited to the wedding, and was allowed to attend. (there's a spell they put on him so that he wasn't allowed to go past the chapel and reception hall, so he couldn't escape) He was trailed and sentenced to twenty-five more years in Vlazban, but was let out a few years after he had been tried. During his sentence, he received psychiatric help. He had never meant to hurt anyone, he had gone temporarily insane. Eventually, he shook off most of his guilt, but the scar on his Quidditch career was permanent. He ended up working in a Bulgarian wizarding pub as a bartender. he met a bright young women after his 30th birthday and they were married, only to get divorced a year later.   
  
And they all lived happily ever after.....  
Or at least until Samantha ( AN- me!!!) writes a sequel...  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
hehe...riiight. I wrote this cuz a certain reviewer said that I didn't deal with Ron's drinking problem, and she was right. So I had to change that. hehe, besides, didn't want to leave all you fabulous readerz in the dark! ( or as my social studies teacher says: "if I don't tell you EXACTLY what happens, you might think on your own, God forbid!" lol, he's got a very sarcastic sense of humor. ^_^) And I found out that Cho isn't Chinese, she's Japanese. I found this out by looking at a few clues..  
1) she's short, and for some reason Japanese people are shorter than europens  
  
2) her name is Japanese for "rising sun" or whatever... I looked that up on a baby namer the other day, along with Hermione, Ron, Harry, Ginny, and other peoplez. lol,  
  
Cheers!   
  



End file.
